Routine
by dust adrift
Summary: Kinda-fluffy Pricefield one-shot, a small imagining of a night in Chloe & Max's relationship. Set in a semi-AU without the game's main plot points (time travel/Rachel), and where the whole of Arcadia Bay is pretty average.


Author's note: I've never written fanfic before and I try to avoid getting caught up in fandoms or ships, but Pricefield gives me far too many emotions than I know what to do with (oops), so here I am. Cheers.

* * *

The sky was a smooth blend of orange and purple, the setting sun casting long shadows onto the road. A light early evening breeze swept through the air and the night was calm – a stark contrast to the frenzied sounds bursting from the speakers inside a dirty yellow-brown truck that sped along the asphalt.

Chloe tapped her finger absentmindedly on the steering wheel, her mind more focused on the night that lay ahead of her. She glanced sideways at the passenger seat, checking for the umpteenth time that the small bouquet of flowers she'd just purchased were still safely secured and hadn't yet managed to magically wither away. Although tonight's plans were now part of a routine Chloe followed several times a week, she found herself biting her lower lip anxiously as she approached her destination.

"Get a grip, dude," she whispered to herself.

She had long lost count of the sheer number of hours she and Max had spent together during the past few months, but the anticipation of seeing her girlfriend still evoked flutters in her stomach and heavy beats of her heart that travelled up into her throat. There were times when Max's mere presence made Chloe feel like a child experiencing her first crush: nervous, bumbling, and trying far too hard to look cool.

Stopping her truck in the Blackwell Academy parking lot, Chloe carefully collected the bouquet from the passenger seat. She brushed the front of her jeans with the backs of her fingers as she set off towards the girls' dormitory. She was still unsure as to whether, as a non-student, she was allowed this far into campus without permission from a staff member – but she'd been doing this for months already without caring or getting caught, and she was on good enough terms with the rest of the girls living in the dorm for all parties to prefer polite avoidance.

The yard outside the building was empty, as was the hallway inside the dorm. Chloe raised her eyes towards the ceiling and said a silent thanks to a deity she didn't believe in for blessing her with the opportunity to not have to engage in any painful small talk. She was surprised her boots hadn't yet worn a trail in the floor as she walked the now-familiar route to the door separating her from Max. She raised her free hand and knocked thrice, making sure to position the bouquet so it would be the first thing Max saw when she opened the door.

A soft click sounded from the other side of the wood and Chloe heard her favourite voice as the door swung open.

"Hey–"

Max stopped speaking as quickly as she had started, eyes wide and mouth left open at the collection of flora being brandished in front of her face.

"What's this?"

"Flowers."

"Thanks, smartass," Max said, her surprise transforming into a smile. "They're lovely, and you're sweet, but why–?"

"I dunno, I just saw them on the way here and thought I'd pick them up for you."

That was an outright lie. Chloe had woken that morning with a sudden desire to do something she rarely did – shower Max in small, and probably cliché, romantic gestures. Knowing that Max liked them was enough for Chloe to disregard her own strong dislike for what she considered to be overdone and worthy of an eye roll or two.

"Chloe, where am I gonna put these?"

"Oh yeah…"

"It's not like I have a stash of vases handy in here." Max gestured into the small room behind her.

"Yeah, I, uh – I didn't really think that far ahead. Surprise?"

Max shot Chloe an amused look before turning on the spot and stepping back into her room, eyeing her surroundings for a suitable flower receptacle. Chloe followed and closed the door behind her, watching Max approach a mug on her desk and delicately arrange the flowers inside it.

"I was drinking that water, but I guess they need it more than me," Max beamed, smiling at her girlfriend.

Chloe didn't speak, but simply moved closer towards Max until they could feel each other's body heat; Max's breath hitched and Chloe slung her arms around the shorter girl's neck, her chin resting on top of her shoulder and Max's face nestled against her neck. Chloe felt a pair of arms snake around her waist.

"Hey," came Max's muffled voice, her warm breath tickling Chloe's neck.

"Hey," Chloe echoed, exhaling heavily. She lifted her arms and drew them back, causing Max to lift her head; Chloe seized the opportunity to cup Max's face delicately with her hands and move her face even closer. It had only been a couple of days since they last saw each other, but they both melted into the kiss as if it was a lifeline.

Chloe nipped playfully at Max's bottom lip before she was even aware of what she was doing – a voice in her head reminded her that she would have Max to herself all night and for the whole weekend. She heard Max groan, but broke the kiss before she knew she would get too carried away.

"Anyway," she began, "You ready to get some food?"

"What a tease," Max relinquished her grip around Chloe's waist and picked up her phone from her desk.

"It's not my fault," Chloe said nonchalantly, moving towards the door and holding it open. "After you."

* * *

The truck pulled smoothly into one of many empty parking spaces surrounding a small, quiet restaurant that the pair frequented when they weren't at the Two Whales Diner, their usual eatery of choice. A slow-paced song boasting acoustic guitar and a crooning male voice was awkwardly cut off as Chloe turned off the engine.

"Wait! Don't move!" she cried suddenly.

Max spun around in alarm, one hand frozen on the handle of the truck door. She barely had enough time to stammer, "Chloe, wha–?" before the girl had already left the truck, hurriedly slamming the door behind her. She heard brisk footsteps hitting the concrete, the sounds travelling around her head from behind the truck, until they came to an abrupt stop. Max turned her head to follow the sounds, eventually catching the sight of Chloe standing on the other side of the passenger door, grinning broadly.

"Wh–?"

Max's second attempt at a question was interrupted by the soft click of the handle and Chloe pulling the door open with an over-the-top flourish and bow. Max chuckled, raising an eyebrow in Chloe's direction.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"Nothing," Max replied, stepping out of the truck. "I just didn't know you could be so chivalrous."

"Yeah, neither did I." Chloe said casually, closing the truck door and locking it. She pushed the small key into the pocket of her jeans. "I guess this is what happens when I realise someone's worth the effort."

"You think I'm worth the effort?"

"Max, I think you're worth everything."

Max felt a sudden rush of heat to her face and could hardly register that Chloe was moving closer before her brain was overwhelmed by the sensation of warm fingers interlocking with her own, and Chloe's body pressing her against the truck. While only five seconds ago she could see a near-empty parking lot, the small hedge fence that lined it, and a dozen cars moving along the road in the distance, her vision was now nothing but a haze of light skin and electric blue. The smell of cigarettes and men's deodorant filled Max's nostrils, a combination that she'd never imagined she'd enjoy. Her tongue seemed to wet her lips on its own accord, instinctively anticipating the contact she almost constantly craved.

The girls locked eyes for a second – Max wondered how Chloe's managed to burn so tenderly – before two pairs of eyelids fluttered shut and their lips met almost magnetically. Chloe's grip was light enough to allow Max to reach up and rest her arms lazily on the former's shoulders; in turn, Chloe moved her hands onto the shorter girl's hips, thumbs over the defined bones. She applied more pressure into Max's body, feeling a vibration inside her own mouth and a heat stir in the bottom of her stomach as her actions elicited a soft moan. Breaking the kiss for half a second to take a breath, she moved in for round two, this time with more urgency – her hands began to stray further down and around to the other side of Max's body–

As if a switch had been flipped somewhere, Chloe pulled away, resisting the temptation to progress any further and reminding herself of her usual strict rule against public displays of affection. A small smirk washed across her face upon seeing Max's flushed cheeks, closed eyes, and still-parted lips. Her insides were almost screaming at her to continue, but it wasn't until she felt a low rumble in her stomach that she realised she had more than one pressing desire to deal with.

"Jesus," Max breathed, "You can be really smooth sometimes."

"Only sometimes? Thanks." Chloe grinned, reluctantly lowering her hands away from Max's body. "And I meant what I said, you know. I'm not about to get all emotional in a fucking parking lot, but…" She trailed off, unable to find the words to express the feeling of her heart pounding so hard she wouldn't be surprised if Max was able to hear it.

Max's only response was to stand on her toes and place a fleeting kiss on Chloe's lips.

"You're cute," Max smiled.

"I'm a goddamn mess, is what I am," Chloe gestured towards the entrance of the restaurant. "Now let's go eat. I'm fucking starving."

* * *

It had been a while since a drive with Max had been this quiet, Chloe observed to herself. Her truck stereo was still playing the softer, soothing music that Max preferred; control of the driving music was a topic that the couple often argued light-heartedly over, and Chloe figured that surrendering that privilege to Max was another small gesture to add to her arsenal. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Max's head leaning against the window, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

She reached her right hand across to rest gently on Max's left thigh, her left hand keeping a light grip on the steering wheel. It was almost midnight and the roads were practically empty; she lazily pulled on the wheel, guiding the truck around a corner and past a row of neatly kept houses until she rolled to a stop in front of one sporting a half-blue, half-beige exterior. Turning off the engine for what she hoped would be the last time for the next couple of days, she looked at Max and smiled upon realising the girl still hadn't stirred since she'd gotten into the truck.

"Hey, Max. Wake up, sleepyhead."

Chloe gave Max's leg a gentle shake, and repeated the action after seeing there was no response.

"Max."

Chuckling, she leant in, her face only a few inches away from the sleeping figure's. She pressed her lips against Max's jaw, giving her leg a third shake for good measure.

"Christ, how are you this tired?"

Realising it was now time for the last resort, Chloe moved her mouth towards Max's ear, and steeled herself for the impending reaction.

"Wake up, Mad Max," she said, her voice almost echoing around the truck.

Max awoke with a jolt, unable to muster the energy to do anything but give Chloe a scrunched-up expression that suggested she should be re-evaluating her life decisions.

"We're home," Chloe laughed. "Come on."

"Are you gonna open the door for me again?" Max teased groggily, pushing herself up in the seat.

"Nah," Chloe waved her hand dismissively, opening the door on her side of the truck. "That'd be too predictable, and far too cliché. What do you take me for, some kind of hopeless romantic?" she winked.

The girls walked in silence side by side up the path to the front door of the house. As they approached the doorway, Chloe fumbled in her pockets for her keys.

"You know you didn't have to do all of that tacky romantic stuff, right?" Max said quietly. "I know you don't like it."

"I know," Chloe replied instantly, pushing a key into the lock. "But I want to. I wanna make sure you know how special you are. Not just to me, but as your own person as well."

She pushed the door open and the couple stepped into the darkness of the house, automatically lowering their voices so as to not disturb the sleep of the adults upstairs.

"I can think of another way for you to show me how special I am."

"…Are you propositioning me, Caulfield?"

"Hey, it's a good thing your door has a lock on it."

Chloe felt a sudden appreciation for the lack of decent lighting; acutely aware of the blush creeping up her neck and filling her cheeks, she gladly allowed Max to take her by the hand and lead her up the stairs and into the safety of her bedroom.

They made sure to lock the door.


End file.
